"A [preacher] who does not love art, poetry, music and nature can be dangerous. Blindness and deafness toward the beautiful are not incidental; they are necessarily reflected in his [preaching]." — BXVI

04 November 2009

Sinsinawa Dominican Statement on Sr. Quinn

Several months ago, the leadership of the Sinsinawa Dominicans was informed that Sister Donna Quinn, OP, acted as a volunteer escort at a Chicago area clinic that among other procedures, performs abortions. After investigating the allegation, Congregation leaders have informed Sr. Donna that her actions are in violation of her profession as a Dominican religious. They regret that her actions have created controversy and resulted in public scandal. They are working with Sr. Donna to resolve the matter appropriately.

Congregation leaders offer the following statement on behalf of members of the Congregation. We as Sinsinawa Dominican women are called to proclaim the Gospel through the ministry of preaching and teaching to participate in the building of a holy and just society. As Dominican religious, we fully support the teaching of the Catholic Church regarding the dignity and value of every human life from conception to natural death. We believe that abortion is an act of violence that destroys the life of the unborn. We do not engage in activity that witnesses to support of abortion.

Very happy to see this statement from the Sinsinawas. I have to admit that I am also very surprised to see it. Please note that this statement, though clearly supportive of the Church's pro-life teaching, does not indicate what, if anything, will be done to discourage Quinn's public support of abortion.Frankly, anytime you hear a Catholic religious use the word "process" or "resolution," you can bet that you're looking at years and years of back and forth yammering.

10 comments:

Whereas one has to be grateful (as well as surprised) to read the Sinsinsawa Domincians' superiors position on Sister Donna Quinn's pro-abortion activities, I believe that this statement is at least partially disingenuous. After all, before there was time to analyze the wave of public opinion that emerged against Quinn after the disclosure of her activities, and before there was time to weigh the consequences with the approaching Apostolic Visitation, their initial response was to defend her. I think the true stripes showed themselves first and what we're seeing now is an attempt at damage control. True, it's far better than nothing, but it also says "Beware" of these Sisters in the future.

I congratulate the Sinsinawa Sisters for their clear response regarding Donna Quinn, OP's abortion center activities.They admit that she caused a public scandal (!) and they regret the controversy she has caused. Further, they reiterate that they "fully support" the teaching of the RC Church and see abortiona as an act of violence which destroys the life of the unborn. Wow! I give the Sinsinawa Leadership credit for not side stepping this insidious issue, for saying that they support the Church's teaching and emphasize the fact that abortion destroys a human life. Noticeably missing are "weasel phrases" such as "a woman's right to choose:, Catholic diversity on a number of issues: oppression by men; "need to remain in dialogue" and the other usual feminist/liberal stuff.Prayers for the Sinsinawa Community, their Leadership and for Sister Donna.

It's kind of mind boggling to learn, from prolifers who had been praying at that particular clinic, that Sr. Quinn has been doing this for at least 6 yrs... That's a very long time for leadership to be informed! It makes you wonder what have they been doing.

It's no wonder the CDF wants to assess the women religious life in the US.

Let's not get too negative. Yes, the response is not as decisive as it should be and yes, this went on waaaay too long, but I've heard plenty of enemies of the Church cackle that nothing would be done at all. Watch, listen, pray.

Scott W., not to be the downer here but it is precisely Nothing that has been done. Lots has been said and written and proclaimed, etc. But nothing has been Done. Religious, especially women religious of a certain generation, are experts on process, dialogue, meetings, blahblahblah...for them, this is Doing. It's not. I'll be the first to eat crow when I read that something was Done.

Again, there is nothing here for which to congratulate the Sinsinawa congregation or their superiors. This has gone on for years - hard to imagine they didn't know about it - and it is out of the climate of their Congregation that a Sister decided she could behave in this way in the first place. Their present rhetoric is simply the result of being "caught" and knwoing now how they must respond in order to avoid further sanctions. It will be interesting in the enxt few weeks to ehar from Sinsinawa Dominicans we know how Quinn is beign regarded in the Congregation: as a hero, as a martyr, as a prophet, as a cancer...

The photo of Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Donna Quinn's pro-abortion activities has given the Apostolic Visitation of Sisters in the U.S. its poster child. No one ever again, even a past, present or future President of the LCWR, can honestly act surprised about the arrival of this Visitation, not that they could do so, in all honesty, long before Quinn's activities became widely known either. It has become clear that this Visitation process needs funding, and once again, the HIGHLY polarized U.S. episcopate does not seem to be stepping up to the plate. Once again I suppose it will be up to the laity to save and defend our mother, the Church. Cardinal Rode, had written the following (to the American bishops) regarding donations to help defray the expenses of the Vistation: “May I suggest that the donations you wish to make be sent to the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life [CICLSAL], 00120 Vatican City State, Europe.

Please specify that it is to be used for the ‘Apostolic Visitation of Institutes of Women Religious in the United States.’ ”

How proud anyone can be of their own commitment ot the Church simply be sending a large or widow's-mote-small check to the above address.